Chilean President Gabriel Boric's participation in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing highlights Chile's active involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Chile is the only Latin American country to have participated at the presidential level in all three forums. The BRI, China's ambitious foreign policy initiative, has expanded to connect East Asia with the European Union and now aims to extend to the Western Hemisphere. Chile has been a key partner for China, with bilateral trade increasing eightfold since signing a free trade agreement in 2005. China is Chile's largest trading partner and a significant source of foreign direct investment. [a2a0dd98]